Impact

Message from the Founder

Lori, who had a stroke 3 years ago

Ray, 97 years young

Mary Ann predicts S3 will help lots of people

Barbara, Who Had a Stroke

Janet, an Avid S3 User and Peer Instructor

S3 Balance® Gallery

I am an RN, the Health Services Director at the Hearthstone at Murrayhill Retirement Community. I have been a nurse for 35 years, 22 of which working in retirement communities. The biggest struggle has been to prevent falls related to balance issues, whether caused by disease or just general weakness.

S3 Balance was introduced to us by Colin, a physical therapist passionate about balance and fall prevention. At first I was skeptical, but after a four-week trial the results proved me wrong. Our residents’ balance improved tremendously, in one case by over 400%. We were so impressed with the results that we decided to invest in our residents’ well-being and bought four devices.

— Brigita Nikolov, RN, Health Services Director

Residents seem grateful to us for implementing S3 Balance. They seem happy to come over and happy to enjoy it. Some residents were fairly stable coming to the class but many were unstable, as they needed to have their eyes open with hands lightly touching and now all except for the most recent, all are exercising with eyes closed even with the (Tightrope exercise) which is one of the harder ones, they’re wobbling but what I would call a slight wobble as opposed to a moderate or extreme wobble (i.e., where they would tip sideways 6 inches or more and hold onto the railing to bring themselves up and then do that rapidly 2 or 3 times) and many were doing that. We have more residents doing the program now than at the beginning and we only have 4 devices, so when more people come at a time we stagger it so it all works out.

— Benn C, Caregiver/Rehab Aide

In my opinion, Benn has gone the extra step and extra mile to help us as individuals. The S3 Balance class takes time to make a difference. You can’t expect it overnight. I haven’t noticed too much of a change yet, but my balance also hasn’t diminished which is a plus. I still have balance problems, but not to the extent it was but I’m extra careful because I’m afraid of falling.

— Frank, Resident

S3 Balance is helpful for balance, that’s for sure. It also helps the core get stronger. When I’m doing the class, I can feel it strengthening my legs. I also am forced to concentrate more, which helps my balance. I feel safe doing the classes. Benn does a good job teaching the classes. I feel the classes are necessary because so many residents have falls.

— Helen, Resident

S3 Balance is the best thing to happen to Village at Keizer Ridge for our residents who’ve been having falls and/or are unsteady on their feet. We’ve seen measurable results and we’re seeing residents’ enthusiasm for participating every day with the equipment. The problem I have is push back from staff who’s supposed to supposed to be leading the program, and we have discussed at stand-up every morning, stating that this is a win-win: the residents get stronger, can do more things for themselves safely, which cuts down on staff time, which enables them to get on to the next resident... it’s a win-win. There’s an investment in the beginning, there has to be passionate involvement by the staff, but when you get through the initial investment period, it’s winning for everybody... not only the residents, but also the staff. The overall impression of residents has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic.

— Nancy Steer-Crist, Executive Director

The biggest benefit that I’ve found of the S3 Balance program is the reduction in fall risk and the strengthening of the leg muscles. People coming in have problems falling at their house and they come in here and do this exercise program and they feel more comfortable and more confident. We’ve had a resident go from a walker to a cane and she’s really excited about that. It’s just a great program that offers a lot of great things.

— Rob, Life Enrichment Director

I was rather skeptical of this program at first, but since I’ve been doing it I’ve actually seen a difference in my balance and strength, so I really want to continue on with it because it really hasn’t been that long since we’ve been doing it and so I want to see how far I can go. But it’s been great and I can see the difference in my husband, as he was really having some difficulty maintaining his balance and he actually started using his walker. But I can see him improving already because of this program. It’s great and I’m loving it!

— Kathy, Resident

I’ve had Parkinson’s for 10 years. My left leg is weak, I can walk with a cane but not very far so I come in and do the S3 balancing exercises because I have fallen, so the stronger I can get, and anything that I can do seems to be helping because it challenges me to not hang on. Sometimes I go through it a couple times a day and it seems to be making me stronger because when my kids see me, they say ‘You’re walking better dad!’ so that’s the good news.

— Ray, Resident

At first I didn’t think I’d get any use out of the machine but once I started using it I realized that I needed it more than ever. My legs got stronger and I’m walking better and more upright.

— Chuck, Resident

We have been utilizing S3 Balance for 4 months and have seen significant improvement in our resident’s stability. They are such a great asset to both people that can ambulate independently as well as those who use wheelchairs/walkers. We have seen a improvement in strength in the residents who depend on wheelchairs to ambulate as well as those who are independent. They also look forward to the exercises everyday.

— Jacqueline Wargnier, Manager at Washington Gardens Memory Care

Residents enjoy having a new balance tool. It makes people feel safe while improving their balance skills. It has been a great addition in our fitness center.

— Corrina Stellflug, Wellness Program Manager

We have worked with S3 Balance for a 30-day trial in our memory care facility, to help assist us with fall prevention by improving our resident’s balance. We are delighted with the results carried out so far. The Arbor at Avamere Court in Keizer is 100% memory care with our mission to enhance the life of every person we serve. Our core values include integrity above all else, passion for the quality of peoples lives, quality that is obvious, innovation, not emulation, a culture of trust and respect, reaching to learn, grow and embrace change. I believe that the S3 Balance has assisted us with our mission by providing us with an exercise program that has shown excellent results. This program has given us an avenue to improve the balance and gait for residents that are still capable of being ambulatory; therefore, reducing their risk for falls. Our residents look forward to attending the classes and our families have been requesting that their loved ones join the class. Colin and Ann were very supportive in helping us meet the goals we wanted to achieve for our residents. I would highly recommend working with them.

We are all aware of how important exercise and strengthening is for our residents. That being said, it is very difficult to take memory care residents to gyms, pools or outdoor exercise areas. It is also difficult to have large, bulky exercise equipment in our community that can be unsafe for residents to utilize and a huge hazard to store.

I was excited to try something new that the residents feel safe doing and has had noticeable benefits in their strength, balance and endurance. It takes up very little space and has been easy for our staff to move into place when we are using it. The residents have a stable frame to perform their exercises and feel successful when performing the exercise program. They look forward to participating in the exercise group and are learning the routines, they are even able to coach one another. It’s a pretty amazing thing to see residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia learning and improving!

— Jody Burton, Executive Director

Our residents have been doing the S3 Balance Class for 3 months now. I have seen great improvement both during the class as well as in their daily living.

During the class the residents really like working together as well as encouraging one another. Residents in both neighborhoods have become good friends based on their interactions during this class. It is very apparent which residents have been participating from the beginning. Their stance is stronger, and their muscle has memory kicked in. We are at the point where I, as the instructor, do not even have to tell them what exercise is next! This is a prime example of the fact that residents with dementia are still able to learn. We are stimulating their procedural memory. We have now added new exercises because the ones we have been doing are too easy for them. We even have the more experienced residents assist in leading the class to direct the beginners. This allows them to see their own peers doing the exercise and they become more confident and believe that they can do it themselves.

— Charon Laput-Johnson, Life Enrichment Coordinator

The S3 Balance program has been so beneficial to the residents in our community. Not only have I seen improvements with the exercises in class, but also just in their day to day activities. This class has become something that our residents look forward to every morning. They enjoy that the class has simple instruction and the apparatus makes them feel safe while attempting some of the exercises. The residents that participate in the class enjoy the strength they feel afterwards and are excited when we introduce new exercises. While instructing the joy and confidence from our residents is apparent in their smiling faces!

— Tiana Cabrera, Life Enrichment Assistant

Prior to having you come in and my boss recommending we try the S3 device I was hesitant because I didn’t want it to be a device that we were only able to use on a specific type of client or that we would get it, use it a few times, and then put it off to the side. However, I think it speaks volumes about your product that during the 30-day trial we used it daily and my therapists were insistent that they didn’t want to give it up.

I would say that I was impressed with the exercises and handouts you provided with the S3 balance tool. Observing my therapists, I think the most excitement and a really effective use of the device came with helping patients stand at the edge of the bed. Many times progression has been limited with bariatric residents and getting them to stand from their bed. This tool was easy to move so we could take it into a patient’s room to help with the progression of sit to stand transfers.

When working with patients in the therapy gym, the therapists and patients were willing to try harder more complex balance tasks with patients because both the patient and the therapist felt safe with the support of the S3 Balance device around.

I like to think of the machine as more ergonomic portable parallel bars. If treating a patient, I would use the S3 device over parallel bars for almost every activity. It really has so many uses and honestly when it comes to many long-term care settings, therapy departments have limited room and limited budgets, it is well worth the cost because of how versatile it is.

S3 Balance is a portable facilitative, gradable safety environment that allows for a greater range of gradable functionality improvement. I use it and a chair to simulate the bathroom environment, as it allows me to provide all the safety I want while allowing the patient to practice the coordinated movements needed to transfer to and from the toilet. I also use S3 Balance to improve balance aspects for improving lower body dressing functions and bathroom hygiene. Finally, I am also working on vestibular system improvement approaches using S3 Balance.

— Adam S., COTA (Avamere Transitional Care at Sunnyside)

S3 Balance is helpful to use with patients when working on standing or sitting balance because it is very sturdy, making patients feel more secure. However, I believe patients should lean on the device to push themselves up as opposed to pull themselves up.

— Kendra W., OTR/L (Avamere Transitional Care at Sunnyside)

Able to complete higher-level activities with patients who have fear of falling while assisting others with transfer difficulties, i.e., less assistance from therapist. Patients told me they enjoyed using S3 Balance, feeling they could to more things than they thought they could. Patients who are a 2-person transfer can use this device with 1 therapist.

— Diane V., PTA (Avamere Transitional Care at Sunnyside)

The S3 is a versatile and stable device for transfer training and dynamic standing balance training that is portable and easy to use. The therapists feel more confident stepping away from patients in the standing position due to the stability and wrap-around shape of the device which allows for greater treatment options. The patients also gain a sense of confidence with the device and report a reduction in their fear of falling.

— Janet M., PT, Rehab Director (Marquis Care Mill Park)

I’ve found the S3 Balance useful, and have used it in the following ways:I have used it for sit to stand transfer training in the room, which is particularly useful when the room is a preferable treatment location, such as when the patient needs low stimulation or may need quick access to bed or bathroom. The variety of hand techniques that can be used, such as pulling from the horizontal bar, has allowed for quicker progress with transfer and standing tasks.I’ve used it for balance training in either the gym or the patient’s room. The device provides an easy way to give patients the support they need in order to progress balance challenges.

— Tyler B., PT (Marquis Care Mill Park)

The S3 frame has been most helpful with allowing improved ability to stand and work on pre-gait/weight shifting exercises designed to assist with progression to dynamic functional activities and gait. I have found that patients who have difficulty standing and taking steps due to center of balance and weakness issues benefit the most. The frame is safe to use and people feel comfortable in it.

— Cindy, PT (Marquis Care Mill Park)

I really love the S3 for bedside sit to stand and stand for grooming tasks and transfer training and for stand level bilateral upper extremity exercise as it provides a stability they may not have otherwise. I wish it were either smaller or foldable to reduce space and to move easier ( difficult to get to some areas of the building and takes precious time to move affecting productivity) 

— Marie H., OTA/L (Marquis Care Mill Park)

I’ve been using the S3 for balance challenges, such as those provided on the packet attached to it. Several patients who have difficulty with sit-to-stand I’ve also been using it so they can use more of a “pulling” method to stand. I haven’t been moving them into rooms so transport hasn’t been a real issue for me. Moving them around the gym is easy for the most part. My main difficulty with using them is with heavier transfers or with patients who need a knee block, as the front bar gets in my way.

— Sammie L., PT (Marquis Care Mill Park)

Patients feel more comfortable trying challenging balance activities as do I as a therapist. I challenge patients more often and to a greater degree with S3.

— Mandy, PTA (Marquis Care Mill Park)

Best application for this facility is the unit’s portability for use in rooms and use for bariatric patients/wheelchairs!

— Rolf, PT (Avamere Court at Keizer)

S3 Balance increased patients’ confidence during balance activities

— Staff Therapist (Avamere Court at Keizer)

I love that I can take it to patient rooms!!

— Staff Therapist (Avamere Court at Keizer)

Licensed Therapists

Great for providing extra support for bariatric patients. Easy transport to rooms.

The S3 is an unparalleled apparatus to safely work with clients who need balance training. I use it with a 90-year old cognitively impaired woman who has had dual hip replacements and we both feel completely safe and secure, as opposed to having to rely on multiple chairs. There is no comparison. The S3 also provides an opportunity to safely stretch various muscle groups. I highly recommend it.

— Meg Britton, Yoga instructor

Bariatric Patient

S3 Balance helps me to stand up easier and smoother, which can be very difficult being a bariatric patient.

— Kerry H.

Group Class Participants

I have really been helped with my balance! I feel much more confident in walking. I still use my walker but moving around my apt without using it.

S3 Balance, LLC

S3 Balance is a stationary balance device designed to help older adults and others with balance problems independently perform standing exercises designed to reduce fall risk. S3 Balance is also a transfer device, reducing strain on medical staff.